Taito is one of the oldest video game companies that started producing video games in 1973. Ever since their arrival in the video game industry, Taito has been churning out video games that have been loved by many generations to this date. To celebrate their early gaming days and to bring their iconic video games from the 1980s to modern gamers, Taito has finally released its brand-new collection Taito Milestones. Taito Milestones comes with 10 titles released between 1981 to 1987. Just like the title suggests, all of these titles are set as milestones by the company for various reasons. This is our review of Taito Milestones on the Nintendo Switch in which we play ten of the most iconic games ever released by Taito.
The ten games included all range from various genres however one thing about all of them is that each of the games is pretty challenging. The 1980s were a time when video games used to be really tough however their design was really simple. All of the ten titles included in Taito Milestones are the same as well. While they look really simple and amazing for their time, each of the titles in the list is really challenging and the game offers both classic and modern consoles so if you really want to experience the challenge, you can try out the classic controls which bring back the original arcade experience.
It is worth noting here that some of these titles were only released for arcade machines and they never saw any console release since very few consoles were actually available back in the 1980s. It was the time for arcade machines, so Taito released most of these titles on arcade machines as well so for some of the titles, this is their first actual console release. Starting with the titles included in the collection, the oldest title in the collection is Qix which was released back in 1981. Qix is a puzzle game where you must draw lines and close off the map while avoiding the colorful Qix moving around on the map in an unpredictable fashion.
In recent times, we have seen many new titles inspired by Qix but the original title is perhaps the most authentic experience and also the toughest one. Moving on, you have Space Seeker which was released in 1981 as well. Space Seeker was way ahead of its time because the game offers a top-down map where you can choose your target by moving around and then either engage in first-person aerial battles or side-scrolling action. This is my favorite release in the whole collection however similar to other titles, this is not an easy game to play. Next, we have the Alpine Ski which was released in 1982. This top-down ice skiing game is really challenging and excellent for high score chasers as you must ski around other skiers and avoid trees and rocks.
Wild Western was released in 1982 as well however this title puts you on the back of a horse as you try to defend a moving train from enemies who are also on horseback. The game features multiple levels of progressively harder enemies and your goal is always the same. Protect the train at all costs and make sure that it reaches the station while staying alive. Moving on, we have Check N’Pop from 1983 which is a Pac-Man type of game where you must use bombs to kill monster eggs and if they hatch, the monsters that appear from them. You cannot jump higher, and the enemies are always chasing you in a pattern. This is so far, the toughest game in the collection for me.
If you love shooting games with plenty of action, this next game is for you. Next, we have Elevator Action. The game is set inside a tall skyscraper with an elevator in the middle going up and down and plenty of bad guys coming out of doors on each floor. Your goal is to kill as many enemies as possible while trying to go to the basement and escape in your car. You can duck, jump around and shoot enemies from elevators, hide inside rooms, and use elevators to go up and down. It gets absolutely crazy as you progress to the lower levels but the more you play, the better you get at dodging and shooting back at enemies.
Next, we arrive at The Fairyland Story which was released in 1985. In this game, you play as the fairy known as Ptolemy. This is a fairly straightforward closed-screen platformer where your main goal is to clear all of the enemies from the screen. You use your broom to turn the enemies into cupcakes and then you can push them off platforms to eliminate them. This is also a progressive title where enemies and levels become harder the more you progress in the game. The enemies also become tougher and tougher as you progress in the game. Our second last title in the collection is Halley’s Comet which was released in 1986.
This game is based around the real Halley’s Comet which is inbound to earth and your goal is to destroy it before it reaches earth. This is a top-down vertical scrolling shoot ‘em up game where you gain upgrades as you destroy wave after wave of alien fighters and try to save earth from a direct collision with Halley’s Comet. A progress bar on the right side of the screen shows how much farther the comet is and gives you plenty of time to upgrade your ship for the final battle. Finally, we are moving to the final title in the collection which is The Ninja Warriors released in 1987.
When you play The Ninja Warriors, you can feel a clear difference in how different this game is from the first title and how far the company has come in terms of advancing its video game development. The game looks more mature, the graphics look much better, and the gameplay is certainly more refined in all of its aspects as well. The Ninja Warriors is a side-scrolling action game where you jump into the robotic shoes of a female ninja robot who must kill everything that comes in her way. The enemies range from melee soldiers to wolves, grenade-throwing enemies, and fully robot mechs that make your life a living hell. Technology-wise, this is the most impressive title in the complete collection.
Taito Milestones has its own emulator which comes with different options for accessibility and ease of access. The most important one, it allows you to save your game state so that you can start it later. The emulator calls it Create Interrupt Save which is essentially a start point so if you quit your game, you will start from this point. You can also choose various display options such as using a display frame for games and adjusting the display location and size along with various retro tweaks for it. The Game Settings section offers you to alter tons of options that were not available in the original titles.
These range from time limits to number of lives and so on. Apart from this, you will also find a colorful manual for all of the games on this Options screen. These manuals help you understand the basic gameplay mechanics and anything extra that you might need to know about these titles. Considering how tough these games can become, these manuals are a real lifesaver in most cases. Other options include an Online Rankings tab where you can submit your own rankings as well as check global rankings in each of the games. If you love setting highscores, then you will be spending a lot of time on this screen chasing your next target. Other than these, you can reset all stings, reset the game and return to the main menu to jump into another game on this screen.
Final Verdict:
Taito Milestones preserves 10 of the most beautiful video games to ever come out of Taito’s development studios. All of the titles are extremely simple to play however they also bring the challenging gameplay of the 1980s with them with tons of extras and accessibility options. Taito Milestones is a must-play for everyone who never got to experience the dawn of video games and what titles really shaped up the video game industry of today. Should you really purchase Taito Milestones? Yes, if you want to experience the hardcore yet simple games of the 80s with modern mechanics thrown in the mix. This is the perfect collection for quick pick-and-play sessions or players looking for high score hunting.
Final Score: 9.5/10
